At the whim of a Vala
by Blueblue
Summary: According to Tolkien, sex equals marriage between elves. Since Finrod and his Amarie were not yet married when he left Valinor and she didn't go with him, Finrod must have remained a virgin his entire life. So he strikes a deal with Mandos. Poor Finrod!
1. Striking a deal with Mandos

Long ago, before his uncle had made the shiny stones, he had been happy. Lovely Amarië of the Vanyar had finally responded to his eager courtship and admitted that yes, she did love him back. Not caring much neither for the Silmarils nor the issues between his uncles, he and Amarië had shared long seasons filled with playful fun, romantic interludes under shady trees and the joy of simply being together. That had been the best time of his life.

Filled with youthful eagerness and passion, Finrod had been eager to fulfill their bond in every way, but Amarië had hesitated, claiming they were still so young, and had their whole, eternal lives in front of them. She did not want to indulge in bodily pleasures until after their bonding ceremony. Finrod had obeyed her, but by then evil had come to Valinor and made its first kill - his grandfather Finwë. After that, everything happened so quickly. Oaths were taken and kin were slain - and suddenly his family were leaving for Middle Earth.

He had begged Amarië to come with him but to no avail; she was afraid of leaving her family, of leaving Valinor - and perhaps also afraid of a life with Finrod. His heart breaking, he had begged again - this time for the final gift from her, the proof of their bond - but again she refused him, and he had to set out on the long journey to Middle Earth without ever having felt the complete love of his beloved.

During all his long years in Middle Earth, he had remained true to her in his heart, and never took another spouse. When he finally died, killed by the wolf in the dungeons at Minas Tirith and awoke in the halls of Mandos, he knew that eventually he would meet Amarië again. For a long time he had lingered in those halls, until he grew impatient and approached Namo himself, asking for his release.

"I will do ANYTHING," he told Namo, "to meet Amarië again. To finally be with her and fulfill our union. I have waited for an age. No other elf has waited as long as I!"

"Are you absolutely certain you want that?" Namo had responded. "You never really bonded - never forged the final, physical bond. What if she does not see you as her mate?"

"But she must! I never took another spouse because I knew we would meet again. Certainly she must have felt the same way!" Finrod insisted.

Namo had shook his head in silence, but not been of much help. "Women are fickle," he finally said, "and you were apart for a very long while."

"Please, Lord Namo!" Finrod pleaded, not really listening to the Vala. "Just give me one night with her - one night in complete passion. Let me have everything I have forsaken for so long, and then be the judge in the morning. Certainly her heart will have turned to me by then. If not, you can hold me to my promise."

The Doomsman of the Valar had sat for a while, pondering this. Perhaps this improper eagerness could be turned into something useful. It had been far too long since he had been able to pull a prank on Manwë, but now he saw a chance.

"So you would do anything to have a night with Amarië?" he asked again, a tiny smile vibrating at the edge of his mouth. "ANYTHING?"

"Yes, yes, anything you ask. Absolutely anything. I have waited for an eternity, I CANNOT wait any longer! PLEASE!" Finrod was unrelenting.

Quietly chuckling to himself, Mandos had finally consented. Of course he knew that Amarië had found a Vanyar spouse only a year after Finrod's leave, but there was nothing that could not be circumvented with a little magic. A flicker of his hand, and Finrod had finally found himself in Amarië's embrace.

The golden-haired Noldo, famished for love and bursting with pent-up desire, had burst like a tidal wave on her gentle shores. Over and over again he had loved her, showered her with passion saved up during a whole lifetime of loss. The hours had fled but Finrod had been untiring, experiencing for the very first time how it was like to make love to a woman, and wanting to get as much as possible out of it. Finally, after many, many hours, both he and Amarië had fainted of fatigue. Content with the passion she had shown and the many sweet words of love she had whispered in his ear, Finrod slept in exhausted peace, certain that Namo would see that she still loved him, and let him stay with her.

Namo had watched the proceedings in his mirror, and looked smiling at the sleeping couple. Amarië had been passionate, no doubt about that, but what that annoying Noldo did not know, was that she had seen her own husband the entire night. In no way had she recognized Finrod - and she would never learn the truth of this night. Finrod had lost the bet, and now the Vala would have his fun. He flickered his hand again, and the sleeping Noldo disappeared from Valinor altogether. Mandos gave his mirror a wide grin. Now, let Manwë solve THIS puzzle!


	2. Losing the bet

Finrod woke slowly. The soft warmth of the bed had changed, and now felt cold and damp. Feeling uncomfortable, he turned in his sleep, pulling the thin blanket closer around him. It did not help - he was still freezing. Wanting to snuggle closer to Amarië to share her body warmth, he shifted again - resulting in something sharp now poking his ribs.

"Ai!" he complained, and rolled away as he opened his eyes. In shock he looked around him, clenching his eyes shut and then opening them again - several times. No! It couldn't be! He was no longer in Amarië's bed, he was in a forest! With a confused groan he sat up, evading closely the sharp pebble that had poked his ribs. The moss he was sitting on was cold and wet like after a rain shower, and tall, dark trees were surrounding him everywhere. By the smell of them, he was no longer in Valinor at all. He had to be back in Middle Earth!

Finrod groaned louder, this time both in anger and despair. Never strike a deal with a Vala again, least of all Namo! Not only was he sent back, but he was also naked! The deceitful Vala had sent him straight from the love bed to the forest floor, with only the thin blanket to cover himself. Never could any other Elf possibly have had to pay a higher price for a night of passion - the ONLY night of love in his entire lifetime!

He stood up quickly, wrapping the blanket around him and shook his fist, threatening, to the heavens, shaking with anger. "Namo! Mandos! Manwë!" he cried out in despair and anger. "What kind of sick joke is this?!!" 


	3. Where am I?

Of course he received no reply. He stood for a while, looking around him and trying to figure out where he was and in which direction he should walk. The forest loomed dark and unfriendly in every direction, filled with unfamilar sounds, and he had not even a weapon. A little further away he spotted a branch that had fallen from one of the trees, and walked over to it, picking it up. Obviously having been broken off in a storm, it was quite straight, slender and about the right length of a short staff. Finrod ripped off a few surplus twigs and tried a few swings in the air. Not exactly perfect, but it would have to do. At least he would have something to defend himself with.

The thin blanket was another problem entirely. He wanted both hands free so he tried tying it around his waist, but the blanket reached to the ground and made him trip on it. Besides, the air was chill and he was freezing too much to have his torso bared. Shuddering with cold he finally wrapped it around his shoulders again and huddled in between the trees in a random direction, leaning on his staff and muttering curses meant for a certain Vala.

During his walk through the forest his mind swirled around the events leading to his arrival here, but every time his grasp of comprehension loosened, and he lost himself in memories of Amarië in his arms and the desperate feeling of having lost her forever. His anger diminshed and instead emotions of despair and hopelessness overwhelmed him. _Where was he? And WHY had Namo sent him here? Amarië HAD said she loved him... hadn't she? So WHY had this happened? WHY?_ The question churned over and over in his head. Luckily, he met no hostile creatures on his way or he would have been an easy pray, lost in his own thoughts as he wandered aimlessly along.

At last, some kind of fortune seemed to aid the hapless Noldo, because the forest gradually opened up to green hills surrounding a small village. Finrod hesitated at the edge of the forest, not knowing what kind of creatures he should expect to find living there. As he tentatively approached the nearest cottage, he noticed small details both on the house and in the surrounding garden that seemed elvish, and some of his courage returned. At least there would not be orcs living here. By the door he stood for a moment, still hesitating, but finally pulled himself together and knocked.


End file.
